Have you ever seen huge flocks of birds congregating around March every year? They normally get together and fly in big groups on their long journey North before winter begins. Some birds don’t go too far, whereas others cover vast distances, up to 10,000km. There are over 100 species of birds who migrate, with over 40 species who travel to parts of Europe or even East Asia.
Why do they migrate? The simple answer is to find food and, in some cases, to breed. Different species have different needs that cannot always be met in one specific area all year round. Exactly how the birds find their way to the various locations seems to be an intricate science but, in general, they use the sun, stars and other meteorological cues, Earth’s magnetic fields, and their memory. In some cases, the birds are genetically ‘programmed’ to follow the general direction the previous generations used.
